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“The dog?”

“No one appeared to be home, Jeremy.”

“Appeared to be?How bad is the damage?”

“It’s bad.Jayden’s initial thought is electrical, but we won’t know until the fire inspector?—”

“I have to see.”I tried to push past her.

“Just you hold your horses.You’re not going to go charging in there like some white knight.The fire’s out.They’re checking the house for hotspots.”

“But—”

“Jeremy, don’t make me arrest you.As soon as it’s safe, we’ll let you back in there.Until then, you’re staying here with me.”

Even as I tried to figure out how to push past her again, Jayden sauntered over.His black, curly hair was plastered to his head, and his dark-brown eyes were hard to see under the fluorescent light of the street lamp, but his expression lightened when he saw me.“We were able to?—”

“Where’s Wally?Where’s Phillip?—”

He held up his hands.“The house was empty.Completely empty?—”

“But the dog?—”

“No dog, okay?”He scrunched his nose.“Someone said they confirmed the dog is with Brooklyn.”

“What?Who’s Brooklyn?Where’s Phillip?”God, why wasn’t I getting a straight answer?

Jayden glanced at Kathleen.

She shrugged.

“Oh.Sherrif confirmed the tenant was out, and the dog is in daycare.We searched the house as well… It’s empty.”

For just a moment, my panic eased.Then it ratcheted up again.“A total loss?”

He nodded.“Yep.Nothing’s left intact.”

My heart sank.I had no idea how many belongings Phillip had accumulated.Whether he had electronics.Over and over in my mind, though, I kept assuring myself he and Wally were safe.AWOL, but safe.Well, not unauthorized.Not on leave.

Yeah, so my dad’s navy expression didn’t work.

Still unaccounted for.Phillip was free to go wherever he wanted whenever he wanted.But he needed to know?—

Jesus Fucking Christ.You have a cellphone, you know.Half grimacing, half laughing to myself, I yanked out the phone.I spotted a text from Shayna—which I ignored—but I quickly pulled up my contacts and hit send.

As my phone rang, I heard a ringing.

Confused, I glanced around.To find Phillip walking toward me, Wally straining against his harness.

Phillip stopped and tried to dig into his pocket.

“Here.”I held up my phone.

Wally barked.

Jayden and Kathleen turned.

“That him?”The firefighter kept his voice low.